Understanding Social Cues — Tips for Parents of Children with Autism
To practice effective communication, one must recognize and understand social cues. These non-verbal signals are used to communicate reactions, intentions, feelings and more without using any words.
This can be a big challenge for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), though. In fact, many children the autism spectrum don’t understand social cues or misunderstand them, making effective communication a big challenge for them.
These children might not understand things such as body language, tone of voice or facial expressions, which can hold them back from fully understanding how to interpret what someone else is trying to communicate — or from understanding how to properly communicate their own feelings, thoughts and emotions.
That being set, children with autism can be taught how to better understand social cues, and it’s something with which parents can help support their children.
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What Are Social Cues?
Social cues are any non-verbal signal that we use to communicate how we feel. In fact, social cues are sometimes done without us even knowing we’re doing them, which is why they’re so important for understanding how someone else might feel.
For instance, someone might say they’re doing OK but they’re body language or facial expressions are saying something entirely different. Understanding these social cues can help others support that person best.
If people cross their arms, it could mean that they’re not comfortable, while open arms would suggest the opposite. A smile can show that someone is happy, while a frown could show they’re sad. A light and high tone of voice often expresses excitement, compared to a slow and low tone that typically implies sadness or seriousness.
Social cues help people to fully understand how others are feeling and what they mean, beyond just the words that they speak.
Why Do Children with Autism Struggle with Social Cues?
Unfortunately, children with autism often struggle to understand social cues. This all has to do with how their brain is able to process information.
As autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder, the “normal” neural pathways most people have that help them to instinctively know what social cues are, and allow them to respond to properly, don’t work the same way in children with autism.
That’s why it may be more difficult for a child with autism to decipher whether a facial expression is signifying boredom, anger, happiness or sadness. Children with ASD often have trouble understanding sarcasm, and they don’t understand some of the rules of typical social interaction, such as not interrupting people.
These challenges can have a big impact on the lives of children with autism. It can greatly affect their relationships and social interactions, often casting them as outcasts among their peers.
When someone misinterprets another person’s social cues, it can result in misunderstandings, which then form barriers that make it harder for children with autism to establish meaningful relationships with other people.
In turn, children with autism may feel socially isolated, leading to them feeling stress and anxiety, which can impact their well-being.
As they get older, children with autism may face even more challenges fitting in, causing barriers to making friends or working in different group activities.
How Can Parents Help Their Children Recognize Social Cues?
There are many practical steps that parents can take to help their children with autism recognize social cues so they can respond appropriately.
First, you can engage in various role-playing. These scenarios can help your child understand different social cues and interactions, and then practice them multiple times.
Social stories are also a great way to explain what social cues are and what the appropriate responses should be. They resonate particularly well with children on the autism spectrum, since they are heavy on illustrations and visual cues.
A final practical step is to have your child observe the social interactions of other people and them mimic how they respond. This is role-playing, in a way, that also helps them learn through the actions of others.
Again, since this is a highly visual exercise, it’s more likely to resonate with children on the autism spectrum than simply explaining to them what they should do.
Blue Gems ABA Can Help Children Understand Social Cues
Outside of parental support, children with autism can better understand social cues through applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy. This science-based approach to learning and behavior helps children build the social, communication and daily life skills with which they often struggle.
At Blue Gems ABA, our experienced BCBAs create personalized ABA therapy treatment plans for each child with whom we work. These plans use positive reinforcement techniques to teach children various skills, including how to properly identify, understand and respond to typical social cues.
To learn more, please contact us today.